The Big Lemon’s bright yellow buses have become a familiar sight on the roads between Brighton city centre and universities since 2007.

Fuelled by recycled cooking oil from the local restaurants, hotel kitchens and chip shops, the Community Interest Company’s ten buses have introduced a small, welcome and cheaper element of competition into the near monopoly of the Brighton And Hove Bus And Coach Company (280 buses, ten luxury coaches and a generally impressive approach to social responsibility).

However, the sight and smell of the award-winning Big Lemon buses and the green choice they offer might be lost to our city.

The Brighton and Hove Bus Company, which is part of the national Go-Ahead Group (expected operating profit 2010/11 – £101 million) has reduced fares to the level of The Big Lemon company, but only on those routes where the companies are in competition (The Argus, March 17).

I leave others to draw their own conclusions about the transport Goliath’s motive for introducing selective fare reductions, but I fear the consequences for The Big Lemon could be very serious indeed.

The real losers in all this could be passengers. There is every danger that prices on other services will go up, if the alternative offered by The Big Lemon is removed.

From Cllr Bill Randall
Convenor, Green Party Group, Brighton and Hove City Council